Wings Spread Afar
by Deiru Tamashi
Summary: Sequel to "Wings of the Phoenix". My name is Yume Soyakaze. I made wish that could I could be in Inuyasha, and that wish came true. But once I arrived I met Inuyasha and Kagome, learned I was half Phoenix-demon, and that Naraku wants my powers for himself! Read as we work together to stop him, and many things happen along the way. Rated T just in case. Please read and review!
1. Chapter 1: Time to Relax?

Author's Note: I do not own Inuyasha or anything affiliated with it. The rights to it belong solely to their respective owners.

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_The story so far..._

Yume Soyokaze, a sixteen-year old girl living in the the state of Washington, USA, had been watching our favorite anime Inuyasha and made a wish that she could be in it. Unbeknownst to her, a shooting star was passing by the moment she said that. Later in the night she falls asleep, and when she wakes she find that she is at the Higurashi shrine itself! Despite her attempts to help Kagome she is still pulled into the Bone-Eater's Well, and Yume is pulled in along with her. In the Feudal Era they free Inuyasha from the Sacred Tree, and later Yume learns that she is also a half-demon, descended from a near extinct tribes of demons known as the Phoenix Demon tribe. With Kaede's help she is able to shed her human form and become a half-demon, her appearance also changed because of it.

Distraught over learning that this secret was kept from her Yume flees, but after speaking with Inuyasha resolves to use the Sacred Jewel to turn herself back into a human. Before she can though, the Jewel itself is shattered. Yume agrees to travel along with Inuyasha and Kagome to collect the scattered shards, and hopefully gain her wish in the process. Along the way they met Shippo, who comes to see Yume as a mother figure and calls her such, Miroku, who received a flaming kick to the nuts from Yuma after he feels her up, and Sango, who had become fast friends with Yume. As it turns out though, there is one more member of the Phoenix Tribe still alive. Tenbatsu, Yume's grandfather, still lives and joins forces with Naraku, hoping to capture Yume and use her powers, who are even greater than his, to restore the lost members of their tribe.

As Yume is the last surviving member of the Phoenix Demon Tribe, all of thew powers from the previous generations has funneled down into her, making her also a target for Naraku. She barely escapes being used in the Ascendance Ritual, a rite of passage for all Phoenix Demons that would awaken the dormant powers within her. Now she continues to travel with Inuyasha and the rest of the group, hoping to defeat Naraku. All of this and more continues on, on the sequel to Wings of the Phoenix...

**Wings Spread Afar**

Ch.1 Time to Relax?

After the showdown at Naraku's castle, the six of us had gone back to Kaede's village to recover our strength. Currently Sango and I were sitting inside Kaede's hut, while the others were outside and Kaede herself was out in the fields. After the incident with Kohaku I had stayed by Sango's side, acting as her emotional support. I was glad to do it, and comforted her whenever it was needed. Kirara was resting in between us, and Sango looked at her fondly. But then Kirara cringed in pain, and Sango frowned. "Kirara, are you in pain?" she asked. "It must be because of Naraku's miasma," I said. During the fight at the castle Kirara had bitten Naraku in the shoulder, and when the happened it unleashed a wave of toxins, directly hitting Kirara. "You stay with her. I'm going to see if Kaede has any herbs that could help," I said, standing.

Sango nodded and smiled, at me, saying "Thank you, Yume." I smiled back and cleaned my hands in a basin of water, also taking a moment to look at my reflection. Ever since I had become a half-demon my skin had lost a lot of its tan, but traveling on foot around the countryside had helped me start to get it back. My hair was still as bright red and fiery as ever, reaching my waist. My eyes were a glowing orange the reminded me of embers from a fire, and my nails had become claws. I was currently wearing a kimono like that of a priestess's, except the hakama pants were black instead of red, at my waist hung a pair of swords, and I had on a red shawl around my shoulder with patterns of lily flowers. The biggest change was that I now had a large pair of wings coming out of my back, the feathers a deep, luxuriant red.

I held my hand and a ball of fire instantly appeared in it, radiating heat. That was the other thing about Phoenix Demons- we had power to manipulate and control pure energy. I finished washing my hands and walked out. To my surprise Kagome, Shippo and Inuyasha were all seated outside, and Myoga was on Kagome shoulder. "Hey Yume, how's Kirara?" Inuyasha asked. I frowned and shook my head. "Not good. The poisons she took in are causing her a lot of pain," I said. "Well, then it's a good thing that I'm here!" Myoga said. "You're not sucking out Kirara's blood," Kagome said before he could start. "No, no, I wasn't even thinking about that! What I was going to say is that I've heard of an herbal antidote that could cure any type of poison!" the old flea replied. At that we all paid attention, and I said "An antidote? Are you serious?"

"Quite so. Supposedly, there is a village not far from where there is a herb farm, and one of these herbs can dissolve any poison is taken. Unfortunately, the herbs are said be guarded by a demon. You may not be able to obtain them so easily," Myoga explained. "Okay, so we can just Inuyasha fight this demon, and then we can get the herbs for Kirara," Shippo suggested. Inuyasha crossed his arms and chuckled. "Sure. Unlike Myoga, Kirara actually helps in battle! It's the least I could do," he said. "Hey!" Myoga called. Shippo added onto that, saying "Inuyasha's right. We can actually depend on Kirara." "No kidding," I said, laughing. "Oh, come on, you guys! Myoga's been a big help as well. Like that time when... um..." Kagome said, trailing. Fuming, Myoga jumped up and down. "Hey! I'll have you know that physical strength isn't all that's needed! At give me some credit here!" he yelled.

Inuyasha responded by reaching down and flicking him off of Kagome's shoulder, sending him flying into the grass in front of the hut. "Well, who should go besides Inuyasha to get the herbs?" Kagome asked. "I think you should go, Kagome. If we sent Inuyasha without you, he'd probably end up destroying the herbs fighting this demon," Shippo commented. "Why, you little...!" Inuyasha said, punching him on the head. A large lump rose, and Shippo wailed. "Mom! Inuyasha hit me!" he said, tearing up. Sighing, I walked over and placed him on my shoulder. "Well, didn't I tell you to not antagonize him?" I said. Shippo froze, remembering now. "So, are you going to do it again?" I asked. He hung his head and said "No, Mom." Inuyasha grunted in triumph and smiled, but then I added "At the same time..."

He stopped and turned, looking just in time to see me punch him on the head, creating a lump of the exact same size and spot as Shippo's. Inuyasha yelled in pain, and I finished "I'm not going to let you just punch my son, even if you're my friend, Inuyasha." He glared at me and crossed his arms, but I put Shippo down and leaned n to whisper to him. "So can you at least hit a little more softly?" I asked. He looked at me, before shrugging. "I guess..." he said. I nodded thankfully, and just then Miroku reappeared. We explained the situation to him, and once Inuyasha and Kagome left the rest of us walked back inside the hut. I told the same thing to her, and afterwards she nodded. "I see. So Inuyasha and Kagome went go get this herb for Kirara?" she asked. "Yes, and I was left here to make sure you are well cared for. So out you mind at ease and relax," Miroku told her.

Instead of relax she pulled the covers tighter around her. "It might be even more dangerous here," she stated. I laughed, and sat down next to her. "Don't you worry, Sango. I'll be here to make sure the monk doesn't try anything," I said. "I'll be here, too!" Shippo called. "And don't forget about me!" Myoga added. Miroku looked at all of us, and sighed in disappointment. Soon after he left, claiming to go help Kaede in the fields. I waited for a full minute before he was gone, before standing. "I'm going to take a bath before the monk gets back. You want to join?" I asked. Sango nodded and Shippo said "I'll take care of Kirara!" I smiled and we left, heading for the same spring that Kagome had bathed in before when Inuyasha had spied on her. Once there I looked around cautiously, before taking off my kimono.

After a few seconds Sango did the same, and we both got in. I sighed and reached for my clothes, grabbing a bar of soap Kagome had brought back from the present. As I started to use it Sango watched, confused. "Yume, what is that you're using?" she asked. I stopped in surprise, before remembering. That's right- while they used herbs and sometimes rice bran as exfoliates, the Japanese didn't use actual soap until the 19th century. "Well, it's a... cleansing agent... that comes from Kagome's time. You just have to get the bar wet and them rub it on your body, and the subs will clean you," I explained, rubbing the soap on my arms as an example. Once I was done I let her try, and after a moment's hesitance she did. As she used the soap Sango blinked in surprise. "It smells like... cheery blossoms," she remarked.

I chuckled. "Yeah. Soaps can be purchased scented or without scents, depending on which you prefer," I told her, while also reaching again for my clothes. I had also taken a bottle of shampoo from Kagome's bag, and flipped the cap off. I could see Sango look at it as well, and before she could ask I explained "This a bottle of stuff called shampoo. It's work like soap, except for your hair." To prove my point I squeezed some out until it feel on my hand, and I handed the battle to her. While the soap smiled like cheery blossoms the shampoo was strawberry-scented, and Sango cautiously applied it, following my lead. After a while she began smiling, and declared "I like this stuff." I smiled began and dunked my head underneath the water, getting rid of the suds. When I resurfaced I froze, sensing something near the treeline.

Sango saw me freeze and frowned, asking "What?" I didn't say anything, and instead conjured a fireball and threw it at the spot where I senses that presence. The fireball exploded and burnt away the bushes it had touched, revealing a crouched Miroku behind where it had been. He went stiff, having been caught in the act. Slowly I began shaking with rage, and beside me Sango glared at him. She grabbed a towel and wrapped it around herself, not even remembering the fact that her hair was still full of suds. "Miroku..."she began. Miroku shouted and stood, beginning to run. But then I also grabbed a total and jumped into the air, spreading my wings and flying. I flew past Miroku and landed in front of him, causing him to stop. But when he turned around Sango was there as well, holding her Hiraikotsu.

Miroku paled, seeing that he was trapped between the two of us. "Let's show this monk just how much that little view is going to cost him, hm?" Sango suggested. I smirked, saying "With pleasure."

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A while later Sango and I had finished bathing and we redressed, while Miroku was left a bloody, battered and black-eyed husk in the middle of the forest. We made it back to Kaede's hut and found that Kaede herself was there. "Sango, Yume, would ye know where Miroku has gone?" she asked, making tea. I chuckled and said "Well, let's just say he won't be peeking on us anytime soon." Sango chuckled as well and Kaede actually joined, sipping her tea. She handed us each a bowl of tea as well, and we accepted it gracefully. Kirara was still resting and Shippo was licking on a sucker, having kept his word to look after her. For that I gave him another to have once he was done with that one, and he beamed at me. For a while there we just sat and talked or drank our tea, enjoying the chance at relaxation.

We told Kaede of everything that had occurred since our last visit, including the events that occurred at Naraku's castle. When we finished she was silent for a while, taking it all in. "I see. So ye were unable to free Kohaku from Naraku's grasp?" she asked. Sango nodded, saddened. "Yes, but we will in time," she said resolutely. "Agreed. It is still shocking though, to think that ye, Yume, possess all the power of every Phoenix Demon that came before ye," Kaede remarked. "Yeah. To tell you the truth, I was pretty shocked myself," I said. "Still, that explains why Naraku and Tenbatsu have both been so anxious to capture ye. Having all that power at their command... The idea is mortifying," she replied. We both nodded, and sat there in silence. But the Kaede smiled, and said "Well, there's no reason to let such thoughts ruin a fine day like this one, correct?"

We smiled and nodded, but that very moment was when we heard a massive explosion. "What the-?!" Shippo said, looking around. Instantly Sango and I stood, weapons at the ready. We ran outside and saw a trail of smoke rising from within the forest. "What on earth could have happened?" Kaede asked. "I'm not sure. Yume, let's go check it out," Sango said. I nodded. "Yeah. Shippo, you wait here with Kaede," I said. He nodded and Myoga looked around, saying "I'll, us, stay here as well. To keep an eye on Kirara," he said. I grunted, grabbing him and saying "Nice try, flea." We both began running, and took him with us. The villagers were noticeably panicked, thinking that it was a demon attacking. We entered the forest and kept running, passing by the Bone-Eater's well and the Sacred Tree.

Halfway there Miroku met up with us, still bearing a black-eye and some cuts, but otherwise fine. "Sango! Yume! Did you hear that?" he asked. We nodded and kept going, Miroku with us. We reached the spot where the explosion took place, looking around. It looked like I had been just a regular clearing the forest, but now the entire clearing was scorched to to ashes, trails of smoke rising from it. "What do you think did this?" Miroku asked. "Well, it wasn't explosives. They don't leave this much stuff behind," Sango said. She was right- although the field itself was scorched none of the trees were affected. Then I saw something strange, and looked closer into the smoke. With a mental command I generated a small gust of breeze and cleared it, and gasped. "Oh no!" I said, running forward.

Sango and Miroku looked where I was running and gasped as well- there was a pair of people lying on the ground, unconscious. Miroku looked and also saw that a short distance away was the corpse of a demon, which was also charred and blackened. "Do you think they could have done this?" he asked. "Maybe," I said, rolling them over and onto their backs. They were a boy and girl, both of them around the same age. What caused my eyes to widen though, was their clothing. "Hey, these outfits are like the ones Kagome wears, right?" Sango asked, and I nodded. Miroku took a closer look at them, and said "Their facial features are similar. They could be siblings." In response I reached into the boy's pocket, and found nothing. "Yume? What are you doing?" Sango asked. "If they are from Kagome's time, they'll have some form of identification on them. People in there keep it on them for legal purposes," I explained.

They nodded, and I found the girl's wallet in her chest pocket while the boy's was in his back pocket. I took out both wallets and opened them, reading their names. "You're right, Miroku; they are related," I said, reading their names. "Michiru and Kaname... Kururugi?" I read aloud.

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And there is the first chapter of Wings Spread Afar! Hope you enjoyed it, and know that there will be more soon to come!

Please review! If you flame me Liam Neeson will look for you, he will find you, and he will kill you. (I'm just kidding... or am I?)


	2. Chapter 2: The Kururugi Twins

Author's Note: I do not own Inuyasha or anything affiliated with it. The rights to it belong solely to their respective owners.

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**Notice:** To clear up some confusion, Michiru and Kaname Kururugi are playable characters from the PS2 game _Inuyasha: Secret of the Cursed Mask_. I've played that game and loved the characters, and there has even been a petition going around to air a remake of the Inuyasha series with them included in the main cast, and in the list of FanFiction characters Michiru is even listed. Despite their efforts Rumiko Takahashi and her coworkers have not yet released it, though I know they plan to, and so I have decided to add them to my fic. And now, I shall reply to the reviews left to me. (Thanks you so much for those, by the way.)

Gry18: Well, just tell me what you're confused about, and I'll be happy to explain.

The Queen of Water: Wow indeed.

Strawberry26: Thank you for the kind words, and so I have posted again.

Cutepuppy01: I'm glad I updated as well. And yes, I do plan to make Michiru and Kaname permanent additions.

Elfen Children: I hope the explanation above answered your question.

Pyro-Cryo: Happy to hear it.

Wings of Hope: Unfortunately, I will not be adding Mei immediately. First, Michiru and Kaname need to be expanded upon, and once that has passed I will see what I can do.

Guest: Huh, I never thought of my work as "addicting". Well, allow me to give you your fix, in the form of another chapter!

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Ch.2 The Kururugi Twins

"Michiru and Kaname… Kururugi?" I read aloud. Almost as soon as I did the two kids began moving about, moaning. I put their wallets back in their pockets and looked at them quickly, deducing that they were around if not the same age as Kagome. The boy, Michiru, had brown hair and was dressed in some sort of school uniform consisting of a white button shirt with a crest over the right over the left chest pocket, light brown khaki pants and belt, and black laced shoes. The girl's, Kaname's, was similar, with her hair framing her face. Her uniform consisted of a white long-sleeved blouse with a sleeveless vest over it, and a blue ribbon tied through a loop in the front. She also had a school emblem on the left side of her chest, same as her brother. Rather than pants she had on a brown pleated skirt, and laced black shoes with knee-high socks.

Both of them moaned again, and Michiru muttered "What happened…?" "Are we dead…?" Kaname added. I leaned over Kaname, saying "Hey, are okay?" "Who…?" Kaname said groggily. "Hey, you two need to wake up," I said, placing a hand on her shoulder and shaking her gently. She grabbed my hand and tried to push it away, but then she felt the ends of my claws and frowned. "What?" she said, her eyes slowly opening. They were gray, I noticed, and looked at my hand. Then she followed it up my arm, and to my face… and my wings. "What are you? Wings…" she began, her eyes widening before she screamed, bolting to her feet and backing away. Hearing that woke Michiru up instantly, and he called "Kaname!" He stood and looked around wildly, seeing his sister and running in front of her.

"Who are you?!" he demanded. "Those no need to be so panicked. Just calm down," Miroku said, trying to diffuse the situation. "But, she has claws and wings!" Kaname said, looking at me fearfully. That caused me to frown. I knew that being a half-demon would get me grief, but until now it had been pretty low. "Maybe, but that doesn't make me a monster!" I protested. Michiru didn't look convinced, and my sadness quickly turned to anger. Sensing it, Sango stepped between us, saying "That's enough. There's no need for any conflict." Michiru and Kaname eyed her warily, before she answered their thoughts. "Relax. I'm completely human. And even if I wasn't, that shouldn't change anything. What are your names?" she asked, even though we already them. While Michiru was silent Kaname was only hesitant, before saying "It's Kaname. Kaname Kururugi."

Sango nodded. "Okay Kaname, my name's Sango. And you?" she asked, looking at Michiru. He was silent for a few more seconds, before saying "I'm Michiru, her twin brother." Sango nodded, before stepping out from between us. Realizing her intent, I walked closer and Michiru stiffened, even going so far as to place an arm in front of his sister. I frowned again, but took a deep breath, and stuck out my hand. "Yume Soyokaze. Nice to meet you," I said. Michiru hesitated, before taking it. Miroku sighed in relief, saying "Good. Now that that's settled, my name is Miroku. What happened here?" Coming out from behind her brother, Kaname said "Well, we were being chased by that demon there." She waved her hand at the charred corpse near the edge of the clearing. "I see. So how'd it end up all… burnt?" I asked.

"Well, that demon managed to grab both of us by the arm, and said that he was going to eat us. When that happened, we both saw this light… and then blacked out," Michiru explained. I looked around, seeing the blackened grass and charred remains. If these two were capable of this without even knowing it… "We should get back. Kaede can explain things to them," I said. Miroku and Sango nodded in agreement, and Sango looked at Michiru and Kaname. "Come with us back to the village. It's not safe here," she said. After a second they both nodded, and followed us back. On the way we were assaulted by a trio of demons, one them looking like a bat while the other two were similar to hounds. Seeing them, Michiru and Kaname froze. "More demons!" Kaname said, frightened. Michiru looked equally so, and simply tried to hide it for his sister's sake.

While I could understand their feet, that didn't stop me from drawing my swords and saying "So what? These things are nothing; just use that same light you used on the demon and you'll do fine!" The both of them opened their mouths to protest, but by then I was already ahead, running at the bat one and firing a lightning bolt. It screeched from the voltage and Miroku pulled out a sacred sutra, throwing it. The talisman landed on the demon between its eyes and released a blast of blue electricity, incinerating the demon. One of the wolf-like ones charged at Sango and bared its fangs, but then she threw her Hiraikotsu and cleaved the beast in two. "Whoa…" both twins said at once. But then the last demon, the other wolf one, charged at them, and they froze. But they wouldn't just run, and so when they came close Michiru swung and actually punched the demon in the jaw.

It fell back and quickly stood back up, but then it received a vicious kick to the side from Kaname. The demon fell on its side and I watched them in confusion. Why didn't they use that power from before? Not waiting for the demon to get back up, and I close and unleashed a wave of flame, hitting the demon and burning it to ashes. Just as quick as it started it was over, and I put my swords away. "Like I said, nothing. By the way, why didn't you guys use that light again?" I asked. "Well, we don't know how to," Michiru admitted, hanging his head. I was confused. "But, you used it before. If you don't know how to do it, then what was that before?" I asked. "Well…" Kaname began, unsure. Just then I heard the voice of Myoga, and looked to see that he had appeared on top of Sango's shoulder.

"I see. That move came from their subconscious. They were so afraid to die, they did it unconsciously," he said. "Who is that?" Kaname asked, looking around. "That's Myoga," I said, pointing at him. They looked and saw the flea sitting on her shoulder. "What a small person. Is he a demon too?" Michiru asked. "Yes, I am Yume's personal bodyguard. MY name is Myoga," the old flea said. I snorted. "If you're my bodyguard, I need a new one. You run away when there's the slightest chance of danger, and during that fight I didn't see the slightest sign of you," I said. "Never mind that! There are still demons around us. These children's powers have not been awakened. We have to be careful," Myoga warned. "He's right. We should hurry back to the village," Miroku said. "Agreed," Sango added, and I nodded.

We began making our way back to the village, and the rest of the road was thankfully free of demons. We made it back and stopped in front of Kaede's hut. When we did we heard footsteps, and another _me_ appeared from the doorway. "Miroku, Sango, Mom! You're back!" the other me said with Shippo's voice. "What? You have a twin, Yume?" Kaname asked. "Twins? What are you saying?" Shippo replied. Michiru frowned. "You're not twins? But you look exactly alike!" he said. I sighed and turned my son, saying "Shippo, enough of that for now." He nodded and said "Okay." Shippo changed back with a burst of smoke and landed on his feet. "Aah! What happened? Yume turned into a child!" Kaname said, shocked. Shippo put his hands behind his head, saying "I didn't mean to scare you. I was just practicing the art of transformation."

"Transformation? You can do that? Are you pulling our legs?" Kaname asked. "You use the art of transformation when you want to trick someone," Shippo explained. "I see. Well, my name is Michiru, and this is Kaname," Michiru said. "My name's Shippo. Did you come from Mom's time?" Shippo asked, smiling. "Your mom?" Michiru repeated, confused. "Oh, that's me. Shippo's my adoptive son," I explained. "Oh, I understand now. But what did he man by you 'time'?" Kaname asked. I rubbed the back of my head. "I was actually hoping to address that once we were inside and talking to Kaede," I said. Shippo nodded, and said "Well, let's go inside then!" We all walked in, and saw that Kaede was still sitting there and with a resting Kirara on the bedroll. The moment Kaname saw Kirara she was entranced, running forward and dropping to her knees.

"Aw, she's so cute! What's her name?" she asked. "That's Kirara. She's currently sick though, so try to leave her alone," Sango said. Kaname stopped and, disappointed, nodded. "So, Yume, Miroku, Sango, ye have returned. Were these two the cause of the explosion?" Kaede asked, looking at Michiru and Kaname. Despite having only one eye her gaze was no less intense, and both of them shuffled their feet under it. To save them I said "Yes, they were. Their names are Michiru and Kaname. Michiru, Kaname, this is Kaede, the village priestess." "Nice to meet you," Michiru said, bowing formally while Kaname followed his lead. Kaede nodded and said "Well, sit down, and we can speak." They did so with relief and the rest of us followed, gathering around the fire pit. "So tell me, are the two of ye from Kagome and Yume's world?" Kaede asked.

The two of them frowned and looked at me, and I sighed. "Well, might as well explain it now. You both think you're in modern-day Japan, right?" I asked. They nodded, and I tried to figure which way was best to drop the bomb. Deciding it was best to be direct, I said "Well, this is still Japan, but not in the present era." "Not the present? Then where are we?" Kaname asked. "This is the Feudal Era," I said, making sure they heard me. As one both of their eyes widened, and Michiru said "The Feudal Era?! You mean, like the time of Oda Nobunaga and when guns first came to Japan?" "That would be the one," I replied. "But, we've only read about the Feudal Era in our textbooks. This is absurd!" Michiru said. "I had trouble believing it too, when it first happened to me," I told them.

"Well, why don't ye tell us what happened to the two of you, with it all leading to Yume and the others finding you," Kaede suggested. Still in shock, Michiru and Kaname nodded, telling us their story.

* * *

It was a normal day after school, and as routine both of the twins were riding the bus home, along with their two friends Tasuke and Tsuki. The two friends had just been revealing some of the local school gossip, and Michiru and Kaname was shocked. "What?! You've to be kidding me! Are you sure they're going steady?" they yelled. She was loud enough that some of the other passengers looked, and Tsuki said "Come on, don't make a scene! I can't understand you'd be flipped out all of a sudden. One look at them and it's obvious." "Do you really think so?" Kaname asked. "Yeah. Like another obvious couple," Tasuke said. "What?! Hiro and Sako are going steady?!" Michiru said. The other passengers looked again, and Tasuke said "Chill out, would ya?! You big doofus!" "It's just… they're still only in junior high," Michiru said.

"Get real. Already in junior high is more like it. It's hardly unusual," Tasuke told them. "He's right; there are lots of guys and girls that have already gotten together," Tsuki added, counting them off on her fingers. "Like Yuka, and Takesa, and Maiko… oh, and Tomochan!" he said. "Even Tomochan?" the twins asked. "What, you didn't know?" she asked them. "No, it's news to us," Michiru replied sadly, his sister nodding. The bus kept rolling along, and eventually they both nodded. "What a shock that is. And here I thought us and Tomochan were good friends," Kaname said. "Hmm. I guess they didn't want to hurt your feelings," Tasuke deduced. "What are you saying?" Michiru asked. "You know…" their two friend began, before smiling. "You two don't have relationships yet!" they said as one.

Both twins' faces turned crimson, and their friends laughed. "You sure blush easily, Michiru, Kaname," Tsuki pointed out, giggling. The rest of the trip passed in silence, until the driver announced "Next stop, Kururugi Shrine. Kururugi Shrine. Please ring the bell if you want to get off." "This is our stop," Kaname said, reaching over and pressing the button. The both stopped and they both got out, seeing a crowd of people already at the top of the steps. "Oh man, I knew we were gonna be late!" Michiru said, the two of them running up the steps. At the shrine a carnival/festival was going, and dolls were being handed out to customers. A mother was holding one in front of her daughter, explaining. "You write the name of the person on the doll, see? Then you'll be able to see them," she said.

The girl smiled, saying "Ah! It's like magic, mommy!" Soon after they tossed the doll in a fire-pit, where it would be burnt with the others as part of the offering. Michiru and Kaname ran through the festivities, stopping in front of one of the stalls. "Sorry, Dad! We didn't mean to keep you waiting," Michiru said. Their father turned around, saying "You know this is the Doll Festival of Wishes." Both of them winced, and Kaname said "Yeah, but our homeroom classes went way overtime. We'll get changed and come right away!" They began to run off, but then their father said "No, hang on." They stopped. "I can handle things here. Please got to the storehouse and get me some more amulets," he requested. "You got it!" Michiru said, and they ran in that direction. Once they reached the storehouse they stopped, taking off their backpacks and walking in.

"Let's see… Didn't we put the box of amulets in the back last year?" Michiru asked. "I think so. We should have grabbed a flashlight," Kaname replied, trying to see through the darkness of the hut. Michiru was ahead of him, and on the floor was the etching a red star within a circle. Michiru couldn't see it though, and stepped on it. When he did the floor gave way and he shouted, falling over. "Michiru! Are you okay?!" she asked, concerned. "Yeah, I guess so. This floor's totally rotten though," he said, pulling himself out and sanding up. "Maybe we can get Dad to fix it after the festival," Kaname suggested, but when she took a step behind him the floor collapsed again, this time a bright light shining from beneath. They both screamed as they fell… and kept falling, dropping into a portal that would take them through time.

When the two of them awoke it was in the middle of a forest, with no civilization in sight. Michiru groaned, sitting up and rubbing his head. "Where are we?" he asked aloud. Kaname woke up as well, saying "I'm not sure." They stood and looked around. "Why are we in the forest? Weren't we just preparing for the festival?" Kaname asked. "Yeah, we were. And on that note, where's the house?" Michiru wondered. They looked all around them and saw nothing, getting concerned. "This is weird. What's going on? Mom? Dad?" Kaname said, calling out for their parents. When there was no reply they became even more worried, and Michiru said "Maybe we could try calling them?" Kaname nodded and pulled out her cell phone, using speed-dial and trying to call them.

But when she did she received the tone for when there's no signal, and looked at her phone. True enough, there we no bars whatsoever. "That's weird. I'm not getting a signal," she said. "Really? Let me try," Michiru said, pulling his phone out and calling their house. But he got the same result, and ended the call. "That is weird. We're outside, but there's no signal. Maybe we could try and look around?" he said, putting his phone away. His sister nodded and they began looking around, until they came across a couple villagers, a woman and two men. "Oh, some people! Maybe they can tell us where we are!" Kaname said. They began to approach the villagers, but then Michiru frowned. "Huh? Kimonos? Why are they wearing kimonos? And the man have their hair in topknots," he said.

Just then the villagers turned around, and spotted them. One of them dress in a red and blue kimono, said "There it is!" "What?" Kaname said, and the other man, and older one, said "There it is!" They came close, and Michiru said "What's going on?" "Careful, it's a pair of demons!" the woman called. "What? A demon? What are you talking-?" Michiru began. The three of them were holding weapons, and the first man raised his. "Demons, where have you taken my daughter?!" he demanded. "Wait! We were just-!" Kaname started, before she was also interrupted. "What are you saying now?" the older man said. "Alright, let's catch them! Get them!" the woman declared. "Catch them and get my daughter back!" the first man called. "Kaname, let's run!" Michiru said, seeing they were getting nowhere. "Don't let them get away! Catch them!" the first man yelled.

"Yes, don't let them get away!" the woman added. "Get away! Michiru, let's go!" Kaname said, and the two of them turned and ran. They kept going, stumbling blindly through the woods, and the villagers chased after them, calling to catch the demons. After what felt like hours they finally lost them in the middle of a clearing, and stopped to catch their breath. "I… think… they're gone…" Michiru said, looking back and panting. "Yeah. What was… with them…? What's going on?" Kaname asked. Her brother didn't reply, having no idea himself. Just then they heard a shuffling in the undergrowth, and froze. "Huh? Was that them?" Kaname asked fearfully. But then the bushes parted to reveal who it really was, and Michiru shouted. "It's a demon!" he yelled. The demon, a blue ogre with one eye wearing a cloth around his waist, stepped into the field.

"I thought I smelled something tasty. It's a pair of humans. And I was just getting hungry- how convenient!" he said, snickering. "What? No… Don't come near us!" Kaname said, beginning to back away. Seeing that, the demon laughed. "Ha-ha-ha! You think you can run away from me?" he said. In response Michiru and Kaname began running, but even a weaker demon like him was faster than them, and grabbed both Kururugi twin by the arm. "No!" Michiru called, fighting to break free. The demon smiled, licking his lips and exposing pointed yellow teeth. "Well, I'm not really in a patient mood, so let dig in right in!" he said, opening his mouth wide. At that moment Michiru shouted and Kaname screamed, and both of them were suddenly suffused in red light.

Around their feet the same star that had been on the floor of the storehouse appeared, spinning. At the same moment the demon began howling in pain, letting them go. Both of their heads began feeling foggy, and before they blacked out Michiru and Kaname heard an ear-deafening explosion.

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Well, here you have it- the introduction of Michiru and Kaname Kururugi! Before I continue any further into this story though, I have to ask all of you this- In the game, the player is able to make either Michiru one Kaname fall in love with a member of the Inu crew. Therefore, if there are any pairing that you would all like to see, let me know NOW. (For example, if you would like to see some Michiru/Sango or Kaname/Inuyasha, leave a notice via PM or the review box.)

As always, please review! If you flame me Liam Neeson will look for you, he will find you, and he will kill you. (I'm just kidding… or am I?)


	3. Chapter 3: Shikigami

Author's Note: I do not own Inuyasha or anything affiliated with it. The rights to it belong solely to their respective owners.

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**Notice:** My, so many reviews! I thank you all for this wonderful pleasure and enjoy being able to see that my work has been read. In return for your kindness I shall reply to those reviews, and then give you the next chapter!

J4RRE77: I actually agree with you there, and with be implementing it.

Gry18: I plan to do a bit of both, to be honest. What I mean by that, is that I will do the course of the game for a short while (with Inuyasha and Kagome being replaced with Miroku and Sango), and then once the vents of Akebi Village are over I will resume the plot of the anime with Michiru and Kaname added to the group, including bits and pieces of events from the game here and there. Such is the power of plot twists.

Elfen Children: I will retain some of the original pairings s your requested, but there will be some others to be introduced eventually. And as for the sibling relationships, I do think that could be made possible.

The Queen of Water: Rest assured that will come before too long, what with Totosai and the Tenseiga appearing soon.

Cutepuppy01: I appreciate your advice, and I did read all of it. I also see your point in that there is no love triangle involving Yume, although rest assured that will change before long. But I'm sorry to say there will be no Yume/Michiru pairing. Sorry. But I did consider your advice, and will continue to do so and time goes on.

Kihala Sisters: Yes, there will still be Sesshomaru/Yume, and I do plan to cover the movies as well.

Guest: You are most certainly welcome.

Wings of Hope: While I'm not sure about demonic pets for the twins, it is something I can look into.

Lydiakelux: I'm sorry to say that I will not be doing any Kaname/Sesshomaru, I will go with the second pairing you suggested.

And last but not least, Mickol93: The first pairing I will integrate, though I will have to see about the second.

And now, let the third chapter begin!

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Ch.3 Shikigami

"...And once we blacked out nothing happened," Michiru finished "At least, not until you all found us," Kaname added, to which her brother nodded. "So, that's what happened. Sounds similar to when Kagome came," Kaede said. Miroku nodded. "Yes. My question is that if the two of them came from Kagome's time, would it be possible to send them back through the well?" he thought aloud. "Well? What well?" Michiru asked. "Oh yeah, that's right. In the forest beyond this village there's a well, known as the Bone-Eater's Well. Kagome is able to use it travel back and forth between this era and the present," I explained. "Who's Kagome?" Kaname asked. "She's another one of our friends, she and Inuyasha are away right now, trying to get herbs for Kirara," Sango said, petting the two-tail.

"I see. And you mean to say this well... could take us back to our time?" Michiru questioned. "That's the idea," I replied. "Oh, great! Let's go, then!" Kaname said, running for the door. I blinked; that girl could have energy when she needed to. Slowly the rest of us got up, and followed her outside. Once there she looked around, confused, and asked "Um, so... where is the well?" she asked. "I can lead you there, but first, I must ask you a question," Miroku said, stepping in front of Kaname. "What?" she said, looking up at him. I groaned and but accepted that it was inevitable. "Would you consider bearing my child?" Miroku asked, his smile one of total innocence. The moment he said that Kaname blushed as red as a tomato, saying "W-Wh-What?!" Michiru was likewise shocked, while both Shippo and I facepalmed.

Michiru glared at Miroku and was about to stomp forward when Sango did that for him, hitting Miroku on the head with her Hiraikotsu. "Just ignore him. He says that to all the pretty girls he meets," she said. Miroku laughed nervously, and Kaname backed away. "O-Okay. Well, let's get going, shall we?" she said, still blushing. I nodded and took the lead, while behind me Kaname stayed as far away from Miroku as possible, and Michiru made sure to walk between them. Occasionally he glanced at the monk, obvious distrust in his eyes. After a while of walking we eventually reached the clearing with the Well in the center, and said "This is the Bone-Eater's Well." Michiru and Kaname looked at it, and Michiru said "It looks real old. Almost like demons could come out it." "Well, they did use to toss the bodies of dead demons in there," I said.

They two of them froze and I realized my mistake. "I said that _used_ to. There's nothing in there now," I assured them. That helped placate them, and we walked to the edge of the well. "So, what do we do now?" Kaname asked. "Easy. You just jump in, and the well takes you to Kagome's time," Shippo said. "Jump in?" Michiru repeated. "Yeah. Although Miroku, Sango and I can't go through. It won't work for us," Shippo explained. "So, you ready?" Sango asked. Nervously Michiru and Kaname nodded, and stepped forward. "Okay, on three," Kaname said, and Michiru nodded. "One..." they said together. They grabbed each other's hands and stepped onto the edge, saying "Two..." I watched them, idly wondering if they were going to say three. I had my answer when they said "Three!" and jumped.

The two of the screamed as they flew down the well, and I smiled. Looks like that was taken care of. I still wonder what those powers of their was, but at least they were back ho- My thoughts were interrupted by a crash, followed by both Michiru and Kaname crying out in pain. Blinking, I ran to the edge of the well and looked in, seeing the two of them lying on the bottom in heap. "Are you two okay?" I asked. "Oww... I don't think so," Michiru said, rubbing his head. I sighed and said "There's some ivy attached to the wall. Use that to climb back up." They did as I said and slowly climbed out of the well, standing back up on the grass and dusting themselves off. "I guess the well didn't work," Michiru said, stating the obvious. "Hmm, that's weird. The well always works for Kagome when she passes through," Sango stated.

"Maybe Kaede can explain," Miroku said. With that we walked back to Kaede's hut, seeing the elderly priestess still seated inside. When she saw Michiru and Kaname she sighed. "So, the well failed to work ye?" she asked, and they nodded. "Do you have any idea why?" I asked her. Kaede was silent, thinking. "Hmm... Well, it could because the two of ye did not _arrive _in this world through the Well. As such, it would make sense that it couldn't be used as an exit either," she theorized. I thought about, deciding that Kaede was right. "Well then, how do we get back?" Michiru asked. "Perhaps ye could find the place where ye awakened, and see if there lie any clues," the elderly priestess suggested. "Well, we kind of don't know where that is. We were a little focused on running away at the time," Kaname admitted.

Being reminded about that made me think of something, and I said "Hey, what about those villagers? The ones you said that were chasing you?" "What about them?" Kaname asked. Getting what I was thinking, Sango said "If they were searching that area for something, maybe they found something like the Bone-Eater's Well. If they did, they could tell us where it is." The two of them blinked, before saying "That could work. Except, we didn't see any of those villagers around here." I frowned. If the villagers they saw weren't from this village, maybe they were from another one nearby? I relayed that thought to Kaede, who nodded. "It's possible. Why don't the six of ye travel to the nearest village and see if ye can find anything there?" she said. We nodded. Inuyasha and Kagome would probably be gone the rest of the day- a short trip to a nearby village wouldn't take long.

"Okay, let's get ready and go," Sango said, standing to go get supplies. I took out my sword and made sure they were sharp, while Miroku reorganized his talismans and Shippo made sure he had all of his gadgets in order. Once we were ready we left, walking through the village and leaving.

* * *

Once outside of the village I took out a map I had purchased from the local store, looking at it. "Let's see... The closest village to here is called Akebi Village, which lies north," I announced. Miroku, Sango and the others nodded, and so we began heading in that direction. The road was thankfully clear of demons, at least until we were about halfway through and were halted by a fish-like demon on two legs, and another three that were wolf-like. The fish like one hissed at us, saying "_Humans. How fortunate that you arrived- we were just about to have lunch._"

Michiru and Kaname were still a little scared, but once they heard that they managed to gather their courage. "Oh yeah? Well sorry, but we're not on the menu!" Michiru said. The demon hissed at them, holding up a spear and charging. "_Insolent humans. Die!_" it called, running at the twins. I rolled my eyes- what is it with lesser demons thinking they had a shot against us? Still, I focused on the three wolf-like demons, and threw a fireball at one of them. The ball exploded and the wold howled, falling over and writhing as it was burnt. Sango called "Hiraikotsu!" and threw her massive boomerang, which flew through the air and tore another of them in two. Shippo used Fox Fire and hitting the last demon. While the attack didn't kill it, it did leave the demon immobile long enough for Miroku to run up and slam the head of his staff against its skull.

The demon with the spear swung its weapon and Michiru and he grabbed it, holding the demon off while Kaname kicked it in the side of the knee. There was a sickening _crack_ and the demon screeched pain, falling back and dropping to one knee. Michiru ripped its spear out of its hand and flipped it over, stabbing the demon in the chest. It fell onto its back and jerked, gurgling as blood filled its lungs and it died. I looked back at the twins, mildly impressed. "You know, for having no real powers yet, the two of you fight pretty well," I said. Kaname rubbed the back of head. "Well, we did take some self-defense classes in our world," she admitted. "And our dad made us take karate lessons," Michiru added. I nodded. Self-defense and karate- both of those would come in handy.

We kept going and soon reached Akebi Village. It was small village, not much larger than Kaede's, and somewhat similar is composition. There were rows of houses and several fields for villagers to work in, and near the back was a large pond, the only major difference. "Well, this is Akebi Village. Do you see anybody that you recognize?" Miroku asked. "Not really..." Kaname began, and Michiru shook his head. Just then an elderly man saw us, and said "Are all of you new to the village?" "Yes, we are kind sir," Miroku said, stepping forward. "Well then, you should all see Kakuju," he said. "Kakuju? Who's that?" I asked. "Oh, he's a priest that wanders the countryside, and has been staying at our village these past few months. If you go to him, I'm sure you'll hear interesting stories," the villager said, before walking off.

I watched him leave, before turning to the others. "Well? Should we go?" I asked. "Might as well. We have no other clues to go on," Sango said. "Excuse me, sir. Where might we find this Kakuju?" Miroku called after the villager. "He usually spends his time near the pond. I'm sure you'll find him there," the old man said, before returning to the fields. Taking his advice we walked towards the large pond near the back of the village. Standing on the banks was an elderly man wearing a light blue kimono with white triangles, and a darker blue shirt on top of it, and a strong of purple beads around his neck. He was supporting himself with a wooden cane, which looked to be handmade. "Um, are you the priest Kakuju?" I asked. Rather than answer my question the old man raised his head towards the sky. "Hm. What rare use of Shikigami power," he said.

I blinked, saying "What?" The old man turned and revealed that he had aging gray hair that covered his eyes and the sides of his head, with two stray hairs sticking upwards from the top and a large mustache. "Yes, my name is Kakuju. Young man and woman, over there," he said, turning his head towards Michiru and Kaname even though his hair would have prevented him from seeing them. They both stood straighter, asking "Yes?" "When the two of you were in danger, do you remember what you called out?" he asked. I blinked and gaped. How did this guy know they had been in danger? "How did you...?" Miroku began, also shocked. "I can sense the power in these two. And although it has not yet been awakened, it has been used unconsciously," Kakuju said. "Can you tell us more about it?" Shippo asked.

"It's what we call Shikigami, which is a magical power that can used to harness the spirits of nature. It's power exists in all creatures in the universe, but only a few are ever able to harness it and turn it into magic," Kakuju explained. "Wow..." I said, looking at Michiru and Kaname again. The power these two had was to control the forces of nature? "It sounds amazing," Michiru said in awe. "Well, you haven't even fully awakened your powers. You don't know how to use them to your fullest potential yet," Kakuju said. At they hung their heads. "We have been pretty useless," Kaname admitted, and Michiru nodded. I placed a hand on Kaname's shoulder. "The two of you can't help it. There's nothing like this in our world," I said. "Your world?" Kakuju asked, picking up on that.

"Yes. We're from a different world, and was brought here unexpectedly," Michiru said. I waited for an expression of shock to appear over his feet, but to my own surprise Kakuju acted as if they had just told him what day it was. "Oh, you're from a different world. That is unusual," he noted. "You couldn't tell from the strange clothing?" Shippo asked. "I'm sorry. My eyes don't work so well anymore. I can't tell what you're wearing or even what you look like. The only reason I can navigate myself at all is because of my spiritual powers," Kakuju explained. "I-I didn't realize that. I'm sorry for what I said," Shippo said, hanging his head. I got on my knees next to him and placed a hand on his back, while Kakuju chuckled. "Don't worry about it. Thank you for being kind enough to apologize," he said. Shippo looked up at the old man and smiled, and I picked him up.

"So, do you know anything about Michiru and Kaname's other world?" I asked. "I'm sorry, but I don't know anything that could be of help," the old priest said sadly. "I see. That's okay," Kaname said. We began to leave when Kakuju said "Wait a minute?" "Huh?" I said, looking back. "I don't know what brought the two of you into this world, but I _can_ teach you how to use the Shikigami power that lies within you. Would you like to learn?" Kakuju offered. "That's great! You guys should do it," Sango said. "Okay, we will. Thank you, Grandpa Kakuju," Michiru said, bowing. "Good. Now, the both of you stand in front of me, hold my hands, close your eyes and be very still," Kakuju said, holding out the hand that wasn't holding his walking stick. Both Michiru and Kaname stepped forward and did as he said, closing their eyes and taking deep breaths.

Kakuju went still as well, focusing. My eyes widened as I saw a red star and circle appeared on the ground around both Michiru and Kaname, spinning. Both of the bodies began enveloped in a red light, and the light grew brighter and brighter until it flashed, blinding us. When it faded both the light and circle star were gone. "Wow! Your bodies lit up! Is that what you call Shikigami?" Shippo asked. "No, no, we just awakened the Shikigami. Now you will learn to properly _use_ the Shikigami," Kakuju explained, letting go of their hands. They opened their eyes and watched as the old man reached into a pocket, pulling out a pair of decently sized rocks. He placed one in each of their hands, and said "Here. These rocks are made from a material called Serpentine. It reacts to the power of the Shikigami. If you properly use Shikigami, the rocks will react and break."

Both twins nodded and held the rocks in their hands, concentrating. For a few seconds there was nothing, but then the rocks began to pulse with a red light and tremble. "Good. Now focus just a little harder," Kakuju coached them. They did and the rocks pulsed more frequently, shaking even harder. A crack began to appear in the one in Michiru's hand, and he smiled when he saw it. But that caused his focus to falter, and the pulsations grew slower. "Remember to stay focused," Kakuju gently said. Michiru nodded and focused, a second crack appearing in both his and Kaname's rocks. Finally they put in one more ounce of effort, and the rocks turned fully red before suddenly bursting apart, pieces sent in every direction. "I did it!" Kaname said, Michiru adding "Me too!" "Great work!" I said.

Kakuju nodded, smiling. "So, do you think you've learned how to properly focus the power of the Shikigami?" he asked. They both nodded, Michiru saying "Yes, pretty much." "Now, the test will be in putting that power to actual use. Good luck," Kakuju said, turning away and facing the pond again. We took that as our cue for dismissal, and Sango said "Now, let's get back to looking for those villagers." The rest of us nodded and we left, looking around. Despite looking through the rest of the village we found none of the three that had been chasing Michiru and Kaname, at least until we backtracked and neared the front of the village again. It was there that we saw a man wearing a blue and red kimono, just like one one of the villagers had worn. When we got closer we saw that he actually was the same person, and Kaname said "I found you! You were the one that came after us in the forest!"

The villager gasped, seeing them and recognizing them. "Hey, aren't you the one from that time- Did you come to abduct someone again?" he demanded. Before we could reply he turned around, yelling "Hey everyone, a demon!"

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Michiru and Kaname's power has been awakened, but now it looks like troubles brewing! What will occur?

Please review! If you flame me Liam Neeson will look for you, he will find you, and he will kill you. (I'm just kidding... or am I?)


	4. Chapter 4: Search and Rescue

Author's Note: I do not own Inuyasha or anything affiliated with it. The rights to it belong solely to their respective owners.

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**Notice:** Hey! Sorry it took me so long to post again. Now that the school years started they've been laying the work on me think, especially in AP Calculus and Aerospace Engineering. But now I've found the time to post and reply to my reviews!

Gry18: That will be included, rest assured.

The Queen of Water: Wow indeed.

Wings of Hope: Okay.

Cutepuppy01: The game is called _Inuyasha: Secret of the Cursed Mask_. It's for PS2 only. Hope that helps.

Mickol93: Thank you for the kind words.

Kihala Sisters: I have been thinking about it, and I might add Janis eventually.

Elfen Children: Let us say this: They will be surprised.

Guest: Once they have reunited with Inuyasha and Kagome, they'll start being told.

Carlisle Fan 22: Thank for your kindness, and don't worry. They won't need to be fighting any villagers.

PrincessAnime08: Glad to hear it.

Guest 2: I am sorry to say that there will be no Michiru/Yume pairing. But Michiru will end up with someone, rest assured.

Master Turtle: The best? Wow, I've never heard someone say that. Thank you.

And Guest 3: Sorry about that. But I've posted now, so I hope your appetite is sated for now.

And now, I hope you enjoy the chapter!

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Ch.4 Search and Rescue

My eyes widened with the villager yelled that, and I said "Hold on!" But when I came close he spun back around, shouting "Get away! Demons, where have you taken my daughter?!" Just then the two other villagers that had been with him before, a woman and an old man, appeared. I frowned and crossed my arms. "What the heck is he going on about?" I asked. Before things could get violent Miroku held up his hand. "Just one moment. There's no need to be afraid. These two are not demons. Tell me, what is your name?" he asked. The man frowned. "It's Gosuke. And tell me, if you aren't demons then what's with the peculiar clothing?" he asked, gesturing at Michiru and Kaname. "Well, the circumstances are unusual, but we're normal people like you," he said.

I snorted at that, but decided to let it go. Meanwhile, Michiru said "It's true. My sister and I aren't demons." Gosuke paused, giving us a close look. Eventually he calmed down, saying "Now that you said that, you two do look kind of weak to be demons." I sighed. "So you finally get it," I said. "You mean, we were about to capture a pair of regular children?" the woman asked in shock. Gosuke nodded, ashamed, and said "We're sorry. We were so panicked that we couldn't think straight." "You were panicking? Why?" Sango asked. "A demon has stolen our daughter," he told us. "Demon?" Shippo repeated. "Yes, a giant spider demon. He lives in an old temple in the forest, and until now he was satisfied to eat stray farm animals and creatures in the wild," Gosuke explained.

"But then the demon started developing a taste for human flesh, attacked the village, and stole our little Sachi!" the woman, Yone, said while near tears. Michiru was starting to piece it together, and said "So when you went out to look for her… we showed up." The old man, Tagohei, said "That's right. We saw you're strange clothes and thought you were a demon in disguise. It's exactly as he said." "We're very sorry. Can you find it on you to forgive us?" Yone asked. The rest of us looked at Michiru and Kaname, who nodded without hesitation. "It's okay; don't worry about it. But, I have to ask you something. Did you happen to see a well anywhere near there?" Kaname asked. Gosuke frowned. "A well? No, I didn't," he said.

"Maybe not a well, but something like it. At least something that looked strange," Michiru pressed. But he shook his head. "I searched that area really well, and I didn't see anything like that. Anyone of you see anything?" he asked, looking back. Both of them shook their heads, Tagohei saying "No, there wasn't anything around there." I frowned. "Well, damn. We finally get here and there's nothing," I said, unhappy. Shippo was disappointed as well. "It's too bad, but I guess we should head back to Kaede's Village," he said. I nodded and picked him up, but then Sango held up her hand. "Hold on! What about your daughter, Sachi? Did you find her?" he asked. Gosuke sighed sadly. "No, not yet. The young men we sent back to the castle never came back. I think I need to go find her," he said.

"What are you saying? No! What will we do without you?" Yone asked. Tagohei scowled. "Dammit, we're no match for a demon that can destroy our homes," he said. I looked at them and sighed, before setting down Shippo and smirking. "If the problem's that bad, we'll go after him for you," I declared. Miroku nodded in agreement. "Yes, I shall go too. I can't stand by while a demon is attacking defenseless humans," he said. "Same here," Sango said. "What? You will destroy him for us? Did you hear that, everyone?!" Gosuke called, smiling now. Tagohei did as well, asking "How can we thank you enough?" "Please, help our daughter Sachi," Yone said, although there was hope in her eyes as well. I looked over at Michiru and Kaname. "Well, you two up for it?" I asked.

Although still a little nervous, they both nodded. "If it means we can help save that girl, we're in," Michiru said confidently. Kaname nodded in agreement. "So, where's the old temple?" she asked. "It's at the end of forest past the rocky expanse. Thank you so much," Gosuke said. We all nodded, and left the village for the forest. Following his directions we went north, the ground slowly becoming more and more uneven as we went. I laughed and cracked my knuckles. "Well, it isn't Naraku or someone important, but fighting this demon'll help us blow off some steam," I said. "Maybe…" Miroku said, frowning. I blinked, confused by his lack of enthusiasm. Sango picked up on it as well, saying "What's wrong?" "I'm a little confused. According to Gosuke and the others, the demon only attacked animals until now, right?" Miroku asked.

I nodded, still confused. "Yeah…" I said. "Well, if that's the case, then so long as he did that the villagers had no quarrel with the spider. Even if it's for a taste of human flesh, why would he risk jeopardizing that agreement?" Miroku wondered. I stopped, thinking about that. "Hey, Miroku's right!" Shippo said, also thinking about it. The rest of us did as well, unable to think of a reason. Eventually I shrugged, saying "Well, maybe we'll find out once we find him. For now, let's go." The others nodded and we resumed our pace. The ground continued to become higher and rockier, until we reached a plateau, upon which was the old temple. It looked just like any other Buddhist temple would, except that this one was dilapidated and worn, no monks living in to maintain it.

"So, this is the old temple. Looks like perfect for a giant spider's dwelling," Kaname commented. I nodded, a degree nervous, when just then I felt something on my shoulder and shouted. I knocked a spider the size of US Dollar coin off, and once it was one the ground I slammed my foot against it. The others had jumped back when I shouted, and saw me crush it. I huffed, no longer nervous and instead just plain pissed. "Okay, let's find this thing and get the hell out, huh?" I asked. The others nodded, and we went inside. The inside of the temple was like the outside, with furniture turned over, spider webs in every corner, and the stone Buddha covered in rust. I sighed. To think a demon now occupied a place of worship- depressing.

We found a door that led below to be locked, and found the key that went to it in what might have been a kitchen or food storage area. But the moment we found that key we heard a screech behind us, and turned to see a pack of five demon come forward. One was a large bird similar to a crow, but with three eyes. Another was a salamander wearing a priests robes, and a demon that looked like a floating blue mask. The last two were both bats, and were the source of the screeching. This time Michiru and Kaname were no longer afraid, and Michiru even called "Oh yeah? Bring it on!" The demons did just that and charged, the rest of us drawing our weapons. Shippo jumped into the other and pulled out a set of firecrackers, lighting them with his Fox Fire.

"Take this!" he called, and threw them at the mask-like demon. The firecrackers grew in size as they fell, until once they hit the ground they were each half the size of an adult human. The mask let out an almost-human scream as it was hit with explosion from all sides, and at the same time Miroku swung his staff at the crow, smashing its skull and crushing it. "Hiraikotsu!" Sango called, and she threw the boomerang at the bats. They both dodged it, surprising Sango long enough for them to come close and spit out a wave of poison gas. Luckily her poison mask filtered it out, and Sango drew her sword to sever the wing from one of them. It fell to ground, writhing and screeching, before I blasted it with a bolt of lightning.

The other bat was about to attack me when the Hiraikotsu appeared on its return trip, cleaving the demon in two. The last one left was the salamander, and Michiru called "Shikigami, please help!" His body glowed red and a ball of energy appeared in hand, which he threw at the salamander. The ball struck it in the center of the chest and exploded, causing the demon to slide back. But it wasn't dead yet, at least until Kaname mirrored the attack and hit the beast in the head, cracking it from the blast. I looked at the two of them. "You know, that Shikigami stuff is pretty cool," I commented. Michiru rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment, and Kaname giggled. "Thanks!" she said.

We kept going and used the key to open the door to the lower floor, where the temple was even more decrepit than usual. There was nothing else out of the usual though, and I sighed. "Man, we're not getting anywhere, and I'm not sensing any demonic aura. Miroku?" I asked. He shook his head. "No, I'm not sensing it either," he said. "Maybe the demon spider isn't here, and it'll come back soon," Shippo said, visibly scared at the thought. "It could be. After all, there's nothing else around here," Kaname said, leaning back against a wall. But when she did the wall suddenly gave in, and she fell backwards with a cry of surprise. "Sis!" Michiru called, running for her. But she was already getting up, and rubbing her head. Behind that caved in wall was another door, this one sealed tight with several wooden beams.

"Ow, that hurt!" she said, before looking around. "That's weird though. I know this temple is old, but would the wall really give like that?" she asked. Sango smiled. "Probably not. Get out of the way," she said, holding up her Hiraikotsu. Quickly Michiru and Kaname did just that, and Sango threw her weapon at the door. It tore through easily, and revealed a large open area beyond it. I smirked. "Nice work, Sango, Kaname," I said. "But, I didn't do anything except fall," Kaname said, frowning. I chuckled. "And if I remember correctly, falling was how you and Michiru were able to travel time in first place. Just accept your luck and let's find that spider," I said. Kaname had nothing to say to that, and we kept going. Beyond the door was a large area that might have once been used more mass prayer, and Shippo stopped.

"Hey, Mom? I'm picking up a wired smell," he said. I looked back at him. "Really?" I asked. He nodded. "Yeah. My nose isn't as good as Inuyasha's, but I'm still picking up the smell of… blood," he said, opening his now fearful eyes. I frowned. The smell of blood and thoughts of the giant spider combined were giving me a bad feeling. "What should we do?" Michiru asked. "Well, we can't just turn back now. I say we keep going," Sango said. I nodded, right along with her. Just then though, I suddenly felt a spike of energy, and my eyes widened. "I'm sensing a demonic aura!" I said, whirling around and peering into the darkness. "What? You just said a few minutes ago you couldn't!" Michiru said. "Maybe, but now I am," I said.

Miroku frowned, focusing. "I'm sensing it too…" he said, before gasping. "Not only that, but the demon has a Sacred Jewel Shard!" he said. "What?!" Shippo said, jumping into the air in shock. "Sacred Jewel Shard? What's that?" Kaname asked. "It's a shard of a crystal called the Sacred Shikon Jewel. Originally it was just one sphere, but the jewel was shattered and the shards were scattered everywhere. If a demon manages to get ahold of any of the shards, they can use it to grow stronger," I explained. "I didn't know there was anything like that. Do you think this could explain why the demon spider's been acting up lately?" Michiru asked. "It's possible. If the demon got itself a shard, that could explain why it's suddenly so confident that it would attack the village," Sango replied.

"Okay, now we definitely have to stop it. Michiru, Kaname, wait here," I said, drawing my swords. "What?" they said in unison. "If the demon has a sacred jewel shard, not even your new Shikigami power could stand against it. You guys stay here where it's safe," Shippo said, jumping onto my shoulder. Before they could protest the four of us ran forward, leaving them behind. At the other end of the prayer area was a large set of doors, which we slid open. On the other side was an equally large area, but this one seemed smaller as almost every single inch was covered in spiders web. At the other end was a large dark shape, which slowly walked forward into the light. "Well, well, well, what do we have here? Two humans, a demon, and a half-demon? And my, you all look delicious," the demon spider said.

The spider was the size of three horses and had eight pale white legs that each ended in a claw, with coarse red hair covering its back. The reason it could speak was because its head as human, with purple hair that framed his face and yellow slit eyes. I frowned. "Sorry to disappoint, but we're actually here for a little girl, and that Sacred Jewel Shard of yours," I said. The demon stopped smiling and narrowed its eyes. "So you know about my shard. Too bad that won't do you any good!" he called. Suddenly the spider leaped into the air before slamming back down, causing the room to shake. From the ceiling a torrent of spider web came down, hitting all of us and pushing us to the floor. "Shit!" I yelled, trying to move. But then the spider released more web from his mouth and starting covering me, until all that was uncovered was my head.

Shippo tried to break free and called "Fox Fire!" A wave of green flames came forth and started to burn the webs, but then the spider fired more webs and hit Shippo, pinning his arms to his sides while he feel back down. The spider laughed. "You really thought you could defeat me? Now I'll have a whole feast for dinner!" he said, cackling. Sango tried to move but her arms and legs were pinned. Miroku was likewise trapped, covered in web on his arms and chest. "Damn!" he muttered. The spider was moving slowly now, savoring its victory. I realized that we had made the biggest possible mistake- we had underestimated our opponent. We had fought demons with Jewel Shards before, even on their home turf.

But that didn't excuse us from letting us think this would be no challenge- and now we were paying the price. "Now, which one of you should I eat first?" the spider asked. I glared at him. "How about you choose not to eat us, and instead let me go so I can fry you?" I asked. The demon just chuckled "Such a spitfire. I think I'll eat you first!" he said, before gabbing me with his two front pincers. Making sure to pick me up without severing the webs keeping me immobile, he held up high. "Mom!" Shippo yelled, struggling harder and harder. "Yume! No!" Sango called. "Yume!" Miroku said. Rather than being afraid I kept glaring at the spider. The moment this thing swallowed me I knew it teeth and throat muscles would tear the web of off me. And when it did, my last act of life would be to make this thing explode from the inside out.

The spider opened its mouth to show that each tooth was a pale yellow and curved like a dagger. "Well, no more sense in waiting. Let's chow down!" he said. I did nothing but waited for the end to come, all the while sending fire energy and Poison Claws to my hands. Just as my head was literally in the demon's mouth we heard a pair of voices called "Yume!" All of, including the demon, looked to see Michiru and Kaname standing there, staring at us in horror. The spider smiled and dropped me, turning to them. "Well, well, there's still more of you. Since you escaped being captured, you should run away. Do you really want me to suck your blood?" he asked. "Shut up!" Michiru said, angered. "Ha ha ha ha!" How stupid!" the spider said, before firing a stream of web at them.

They both dodged, and Miroku looked at them. "He's using powers of a Shard of the Sacred Jewel. You two aren't strong enough to win this. You have to run!" he said. Michiru looked at his sister. They knew that if they ran, we were all going to die. Just then Kaname looked behind the spider and saw a truly giant stone Buddha. Only this one seemed to be made of… Serpentine rock? "Give up little ones? Well, I guess I'll eat the two of you first, instead!" the spider said. I glared at them. "Why are you just standing there?! RUN!" I yelled. Sango looked at them. "You have to run away!" she said. Shippo added on, saying "Quickly! Run away!" Kaname ignored and looked at her brother, pointing. He saw it nodded. They knew that to strike a target of that size and distance they would have to focus their Shikigami with everything they had. But it was their only shot.

The spider fired another wave of web, but they both dodged one more time. They both clasped their hands in front of their chests, calling "Shikigami!" They bodies with red light and the signature stars spun beneath. Instead of forming a ball the light surged forward in a wave, going over the spider and hitting the stone Buddha. The statue glowed red and trembled for a second, before exploding. "What?!" the spider yelled. Shards of stone were sent on every direction, one of them hitting the web around my right arm and cutting it. With a grunt I pulled my arm free and grabbed the web on the other, shouting. My hand burst into flame and the rest of the web followed.

Meanwhile, the pieces of rubble were hitting and cutting through the web on Miroku, Sango and Shippo enough for them to pry themselves free, and we all stood. I glared at the spider and picked up my swords, the blades of which were set aflame. "Great. Now we end this," I said.

* * *

The battle against the giant spider is about to begin! How will Yume and the others fare? Will they be able to rescue young Sachi?

Please review! If you flame me Liam Neeson will look for you, he will find you, and he will kill you. (I'm just kidding… or am I?)


	5. Chapter 5: Master the Elements

Author's Note: I do not own Inuyasha or anything affiliated with it. The rights to it belong solely to their respective owners.

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**Notice:** And... I'm back! Sorry to took so long to post again, my classes are unrelenting in the amount of work they're pouring on me (damn Honors English and AP US History). But now I've managed to post and reply again, and so I hope you enjoy!

The Queen of Water: Thank you for the kind words.

Elfen Children: Well, you'll just have to read and find out, huh?

Mickol93: Thank you, and I'm glad to see that someone else who has played that game is reading this.

Guest: The story is told through Yume's point of view by default, but if there is ever a change it will be indicated. As for Sesshomaru, he shall appear in a few chapters.

PrincessAnime08: That is for me to know, and for you to read. Heh-heh.

Cutepuppoy01: Nice work so far n your fic, and I'm interested in what occurs next. As for Yume's drawing, another author named The Queen of Water has drawn Yume in a dress on her deviantart account. Head there if you want to see.

Wings of Hope: I will be introducing Mei, rest assured. However, before that can happen the introduction of the twins has to finished, and the main anime plot resumed a little. Just be patient.

Judy the Sylveon: Thank you for that. But now I'm curious- what are the other four of your top five? I've been looking for a good fic as of late, and I'd love it if you told me.

Kihala Sisters: While I'm not so sure about the Kaname/Miroku pairing, I can look into the rest.

Greymon Leader Batx Flashpoint: I hope so as well.

And Guest #2: Yes, everything Yume sees looks the same as if it were real.

And now, let the fifth chapter begin!

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Ch.5 Mastering the Elements

The spider demon glared us, yelling "Damn you all! I'm going to drink everyone's blood!" Then he charged at us, and we broke of to either side. Shippo called "Fox Fire!" and threw an orb of green flame at demon. While the flames did no real damage it did cause the beast to lower its guard, a lapse in focus that Miroku used to throw a Sacred Sutra. It landed on the spider's side and crackled with spiritual energy, causing the demon to cry out in pain. At the same time I charged from the other side, putting away one my swords and holding out my hand. The claws on my fingers glowed greened, and I yelled "Poison Claw!" I flung my hand out and a wave of toxic fumes flew forth, hitting the spider and partially melting one of its legs. It howled in agony and I smirked. The next time I saw Sesshomaru, I would have to thank him for that power.

The demon turned to me and spit out a massive glob of web, which hit me in the chest and sent me back. "Not this again!" I complained. "Hold on!" Kaname said, clasping her hands together. The Shikigami star spun beneath her feet and she created a red orb of energy, which she threw at me. Once the orb hit the flames it exploded, not hurting me but tearing apart the strings. I nodded my thanks and tore the rest of them off, looking back at the enemy. The spider turned to Sango and leaped into air, coming down and trying to crush her. But Sango nimbly rolled out of the way and threw her Hiraikotsu, severing the leg that I had melted. The demon spider shouted, saying "Cursed wench! Die!" With that he charged at her at full speed, tackling Sango to the ground before she could dodge.

"Sango!" Miroku, Michiru and I called. Each of us threw some form of projectile at the demon, be it a Sutra, energy orb, or fireball. The spider was about to literally bite Sango's head off when he saw the attacks coming, and jumped away. Sango stood and threw her Hiraikotsu again, but in display of unusual speed it dodged her weapon as well. "How is it moving so fast?" Shippo asked. I frowned, before saying "It must be the Sacred Jewel Shard! He's using it to enhance his speed!" The demon laughed, saying "So, you figured it out, hm? However, the Jewel lets me do far more than just that!" To prove his point the spider leaped into the air again and a claw emerged from each of its remaining leg, dripping with poison. "Get back!" Miroku called, and we all moved away.

The spider landed hard enough to shake the ground, and when the poison touched the floorboards it dissolved into mush. Michiru created another energy orb and threw it, but the spider pressed itself against the ground and it sailed overhead. "Not this time, little one!" he called, and fired a string of web at Michiru. It wrapped around his legs and the demon gave a tug, pulling Michiru of his feet. "Bro!" Kaname called, running to free him. But before she could the spider launched another string, knocking her down as well. The spider laughed at their folly, but stopped when Shippo lit half a dozen firecrackers and threw them. They landed all across the demon's back and exploded, creating several painful-looking burns. "Yeah!" Shippo cheered. The spider glared at him and he froze, seeing the demon lick its lips.

"You know, I was going to save you for an appetizer later. Now I'll think eat you quick!" he said, and charged at Shippo. At that my eyes blazed with rage, and I yelled "Over my dead body!" I spread my wings and launched myself forward, sending out another wave of poisonous gas. I made sure it was as potent though, as I had an idea. Once the fumes were surrounding the spider and creating a tiny flicker of flame, dropping it into the middle of the clouds. The gases immediately caught fire, creating an explosion of fire that enveloped the spider demon. As expected, it roared in pain before jumping vertically upwards. I flew to the side to let it, and Sango threw her Hiraikotsu at its exposed underside. It flew forward and almost cleaved the spider in two, but then it managed to twist in midair so that only another leg was severed.

The spider roared in pain and landed back down, but before it could attack I sent out a wave of fire from my sword and removed a third limb. The demon spat another wave of web at me, and I promptly destroyed it with a wave of fire. Despite that I frowned. With the Sacred Jewel Shard, this thing was just too stubborn to die. Even now, I could see the first limb we had severed begin to slowly regenerate, as if it had never been removed in the first place. At that I frowned further. If we were going to take this thing down, we needed a single, massive attack. Usually Inuyasha's Wind Scar would do the job, but he was with Kagome getting herbs for Kirara. So instead, we needed to do something else. I tried to think of a something when I saw Michiru and Kaname each through an orb of energy, hitting the demon from either side.

That was when it hit me. Channeling Shikigami power into Serpentine rocks had worked. So why couldn't it for... something else? Confident, I turned to Sango and said "Sango! Throw your Hiraikotsu at the demon as hard as you can on my signal!" Dodging another shot of web, Sango nodded while I turned to the Kururugi twins. "Michiru, Kaname! When Sango throws her Hiraikotsu, I want you to both channel as much energy as you can, and hit Sango's weapon with it!" I ordered. "What? What will that accomplish?" Michiru asked, confused. I shook my head. "Just trust me!" I implored. Slowly they both nodded, and I looked back at the spider. It smirked and said "Well, giving up?" I smiled back and shook my head. "Not in the least. NOW!" I yelled. Sango said "Here goes!" and threw her Hiraikotsu.

At the same time Michiru and Kaname released as much Shikigami energy as they possibly could, all it aimed at the Hiraikotsu. Rather than knock it off-course or make it explode, the power was absorbed _into_ the boomerang, covering in a light blue aura. It kept flying, and I also threw a fireball, which enveloped the Shikigami-empowered Hiraikotsu in flames. The spider demon saw it coming and was about to dodge when Shippo said "You're not getting away! Wheel of Fire!" Shippo pulled out three large bombs and threw them around the spider, causing it to only go up to avoid being hit. And that allowed the Hiraikotsu to fly forward and hit the demon in the stomach, completely cleaving it in two. The demon howled in pain, doing so even more when the Sacred Jewel Shard, which had been resting in its stomach, fell out. Quickly I flew up and grabbed it, ignoring the burning of my flesh as the demonic taint of it touched my skin.

"Alright, now to finish this!" Miroku said, raising his right hand. Getting the idea, Sango and Shippo moved behind Miroku while I did the same with Michiru and Kaname in tow. Before either of them could ask why we were pulling back, Miroku called "Wind Tunnel!" and removed the cover on his hand. The abyssal void in his right palm instantly activated, sucking in everything before it, including the demon spider. "NOOO!" it screamed, trying weakly to hold onto the ground. But in this case the poison from its claws worked against it, turning whatever holds it could have had into putty. The two halves of the spider flew into the Wind Tunnel, consumed and literally sucked out of existence. Once the demon was gone Miroku closed his hand, wrapping the prayer beads back around it.

"Whoa..." Kaname said, while Michiru asked "What _was_ that?" Miroku smiled sadly. "A certain power that has been passed down through my family to me. As powerful as the Wind Tunnel is though, it's not without its drawbacks," he said. "Really? Like what?" Kaname asked. Before Miroku could say Shippo interrupted them, saying "Hey, Michiru, Kaname!" They turned him, and the young fox said "That coming-to-the-rescue act was really dangerous! What were you thinking?" They both of them blinked immediately looked embarrassed, Kaname laughing weakly while Michiru rubbed the back of his head. "Well, we're all safe now. That's what matters," Sango said, picking her Hiraikotsu and putting it on her back. I nodded in agreement and picked up Shippo, placing him on my shoulder. "Yeah. Now we should probably be getting... huh?" I said.

"What?" Michiru asked, but then they all looked in the direction I was staring. In the corner of the room, tucked away so that it wouldn't normally be noticed, was a large oval-shaped object seemingly made of pure web. "Something's moving over there. A cocoon?" I asked. "Oh no. It couldn't be a spider's egg, could it?" Sango said, reaching for her weapon again. "Don't say that, Sango!" Kaname said, frightened at the idea of millions of miniature spider demons. While I sympathized with her, I had better control over my fears from being in this era longer, and was able to hide them behind a scoff. "Please. If it is an egg, we'll cut it open before they can finish growing," I said, walking forward and drawing one my swords. The others followed, and I willed my blade to burst into flames before swinging.

I cut a third of the way through, and when the flames began burning I heard a scream on the inside. A human scream. My eyes widened and I yelled "Oh fuck!" before hastily canceling the flames. When I did I saw a sliver of a red kimono on the inside of the construct. I dismissed the flames on my blade and swung again, this time aiming to cut the webs away from the body. After a few minutes it worked, and when the last of the webs fell away a little girl was standing before us. Her features were doll-like and her hair was midnight black, and she was indeed wearing a red kimono. Her voice was high-pitched as well, and she said "That was scary! Thank you so much!" "Are you alright? Nothing hurt?" I asked, worried I might have down something. "It was a little painful being trapped in there, but I'm okay," the girl said.

I sighed and nearly fell over in relief. Next to me Sango frowned, asking "Is your name Sachi?" "yes, but how do you know?" the newly names Sachi asked. "This is perfect! Your mother and father sent us here to look for you!" Miroku said. "Well, we've both found her and beaten the demon. Let's go back!" Shippo said. All of us agreed on that, and so we turned to leave the temple.

* * *

Once we made it back to Akebi Village we followed the girl to her home, making sure she got back safely. We entered her home and saw Gosuke and Yone, who turned upon our arrival. As one they gasped, and Yone called "Sachi!" "Mommy!" Sachi called, running for her mother. They both embraced each other tearfully, crying. "Oh, Sachi! I thought we had lost you!" Yone said. "Mommy, I'm glad I'm back!" her daughter declared. While the two of them were crying and hugging each other, Gosuke smiled at us. "Thank you all for bringing back our daughter. Words can't describe how grateful we are," he said calmly. "Oh, it was nothing. It needed to be done, so we did it," Sango replied. He nodded at that and reached into his pocket, pulling out a modestly-sized pouch. I could hear a distinct clinking inside that no doubt came from coins, and he held it out.

"This is something we would like to give you to show our appreciation for saving our daughter. Will you accept it, please?" he said. Michiru and Kaname's eye widened, and Michiru said "Money? I don't we can take this." But Gosuke was adamant, and said "Please, take it. It is our thanks, and an apology for how we treated you at first." Yone managed to look up from hugging Sachi, and said "It's only a little. But perhaps it will help somehow." "But..." the twins began. But then Sango and I placed a hand on their respective shoulders. "It's okay. This is their way of thanking us- it would be rude to refuse," I said. Eventually they nodded, and Michiru said "Okay, we will accept it. Thank you." Kaname gently took the pouch from Gosuke's hand, and passed it to her brother, who put it in his pocket.

Gosuke smiled. "Everyone, thank you so much!" he said, Sachi pulled away from her mother to face us, saying "Thank you!" We all nodded and left the house. Once outside I sighed. "Well, we didn't find anything about how you guys got here, but at least we managed to help some people out," I said, looking over at Michiru and Kaname. "Yeah! And you guys were able awaken the Shikigami!" Shippo added. "Which reminds me, we should probably find Kakuju and thank him for that. If it hadn't been for him awakening your powers, we'd all be dead," Miroku pointed out. Michiru and Kaname nodded, Kaname saying "Okay, let's go find him." We backtracked through the village to same path to the lake we had taken before. Kakuju was still there, facing the lake, but he turned upon hearing us approach.

Even though he couldn't see, he turned his head to look at the two of them, and nodded. "Well, you certainly haven't been gone long, but you've already experienced so much. It seems you've both become much better at using the power of the Shikigami. Tell me what happened," the old priest said. The Kururugi siblings nodded, retelling everything that had happened in the old temple. When we were finally done Kakuju was silent for a moment, taking it all in. "I'm surprised that you managed to defeat the spider. You've gotten much better at harnessing the power of the Shikigami," he said. Both of their expressions brightened, but then he said "But I have a premonition that you two will be fighting many more demons from now on." At that they happy expression faded, replaced with worry.

Kakuju chuckled, and said "Not to worry though- there is hope." He turned and faced the lake. "There are many different uses for the Shikigami. It can do more than just makes orbs of energy and break rocks. With the power of the Shikigami, you are capable of manipulating and controlling ten different forces of nature. Those forces are as follows: Water, Fire, Wind, Earth, Lightning, Ice, Wood, Metal, Light and Shadows. Each force has a different spirit form, and each is awakened through different means. Some Shikigami masters focus on just a handfuls of elements, refining their skill in them to the utmost of finesse. Others try to awaken all ten forces of nature, and some have succeeded. And then there are the rare few who do both, mastering all powers of the Shikigami and becoming true masters of the art. Each element has its own capabilities, and can even be used for fighting," he explained.

Then Kakuju turned back around, and said "If you'd like, I can awaken the most basic element of the Shikigami and teach you a single spell from it- the Shikigami of Fire." All our eyes widened, and we were temporarily struck speechless. Michiru was the first to speak, saying "Yes, we'd love that! Thank you, Kakuju!" Kaname snapped out it as well, nodding. "Yes, we would!" she added. The rest of us also came out of our daze, and watched as Kakuju nodded. "Very well then. I want both of you to stand in front of me, close your eyes, and not move a muscle," he said. They nodded and stood before the old woman, taking deep breaths and relaxing. Kakuju set his walking stick against a nearby log and placed a hand over each of their heads. Slowly he took in deep breath and let it out, focusing.

Like before, the Shikigami star appeared beneath Michiru and Kaname, spinning and glowing red. The same red light enveloped their bodies, but this time the light gathered above their heads and coalesced into the shape of an actual animal- a lion. That lion roared and fade away, as did all other signs of the Shikigami. Michiru and Kaname opened their eyes, and released a breath they didn't know they'd been holding. Kakuju released them and grabbed his stick, smiling. "Now the Shikigami of Fire has been awakened in both of you. Step towards the lake, and look out beyond it," he instructed. They did, and the priest stepped to the side. "Now, I want you to focus on that feeling you had as the Fire Shikigami emerged, and channel it. When you do, say these words. 'Oh flame, burning bright, turn into a sword of wrath. Raging Flame.'"

Michiru and Kaname both did as instructed, calling "Oh flame, burning bright, turn into a sword of wrath! Raging Flame!" The lion that was their Fire Shikigami appeared once more, and roared before both of them leaped forward. The lions turned into twin waves of pure fire, which flew forward and hit the surface of the lake. They extinguished with a blast of steam, and both siblings took a step back, somewhat drained from the attack. Kakuju noticed this, and frowned. "Well, you performed the spell correctly, but I think you'll need more training to use it effectively. Physical exercise can do wonders for increasing your stamina and energy supply, and meditating will help sharpen your mental focus. There are other, more advanced methods to training with your Shikigami, but these will suffice for now. And should you ever obtain a new spell or familiar, be sure to practice it as well," he said.

The two of them nodded, and bowed. "Thank you for teaching, Kakuju," they said at the same time. "Your welcome. You should go now. I'm sure we'll meet again sometime," Kakuju replied. We all nodded and left, exiting Akebi Village and beginning to make our way back to Kaede's Village. Little did we know, that a certain modern girl and half-demon would be there to meet us.

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Well, the demon spider has been defeated, Sachi has been rescued, the path to mastering the Shikigami for Michiru and Kaname has begun! But soon things will be getting back to the main anime plot, so if you know what comes after Jinenji, then be ready!

Please review! If you flame me Liam Neeson will look for you, he will find you, and he will kill you. (I'm just kidding... or am I?)


	6. Chapter 6: Reunion

Author's Note: I do not own Inuyasha or anything affiliated with it. The rights to it belongs solely to their respective owners.

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**Notice:** Hey! I'm not dead! I really haven't got an excuse for not posting that I haven't already given (Damn school and AP courses) but I still managed to find time to update. And so, I hope you enjoy the fruits of my endeavors, and read both the latest replies and chapter!

The Queen of Water: There will be some of that when Sesshomaru appears, rest assured.

Elfen Children: You shall get your answer this chapter.

Cutepuppy01: Right you are.

Bur Bur: Thank you for the kinds words, but I will not do just the game. I intend to do a combination of both it and the anime, as seen in this chapter.

PrincessAnime08: And as always, thank you for reviewing.

Tiger2014: I will, I promise.

J4RRE77: I hope this is satisfactory.

Wings of Hope: I understand, and it will be enjoyable when it does happen.

And Supboyyyyy93: Okay, I won't. And I'm glad you're enjoying the appearance of Michiru and Kaname.

And now, without any further wait, here is the latest chapter!

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Ch.6 Reunion

When the the six of us entered Kaede's Village it seemed as if all was normal. The villagers were roaming around, doing jobs and children were playing. But not two seconds after we entered the village we heard a voice yell "SIT!" accompanied by a loud thud and a male scream. "What was that?" Michiru asked, looking around. Miroku, Sango, Shippo and I all sighed. "Remember how I mentioned Inuyasha and Kagome, two friends of our that went looking for herbs for Kirara?" I asked. They both nodded, and Miroku said "That was them." Both of them said "Ohhh" in understanding, and went in the general direction that we had heard them. Kagome was standing there over Inuyasha, glaring and looking like she had just put her uniform on, and Inuyasha was lying in a crater shaped like his body.

"Kagome! You're back!" Shippo said, running forward and leaping at her. Kagome switched her gaze from Inuyasha to Shippo at that, and blinked before smiling. "Shippo!" she called, catching him and giving them a hug. I smiled at that, while Michiru and Kaname stared at Kagome. Her ebony-black hair with a noticeable blue outline and large brown eyes and pale skin. Like the twins she was wearing a school uniform, but hers was a sailor style with a white, long-sleeved shirt, a green blouse and skirt. A red ribbon was tied through the front of the blouse in a loop, and on her back was a set of bow and arrows. Watching Kagome and Shippo hug, I remembered something. Shippo had actually confided in me that while I was his adoptive mother, he did see Kagome and Sango as "big sisters".

While I wasn't sure if Kagome's interesting temper was a good model for Shippo, I let it be because I could at least be there to correct it if he adopted it. While the two of them continued hugging and talking I walked forward and said "It's good to see you back, Kagome!" "Same here!" Sango said, while Miroku nodded. "Miroku, Sango!" Kagome said, looking up from Shippo and smiling. I reached down and grabbed Inuyasha's arm, pulling him out of the ground. When Kaname saw his appearance she blinked and blushed. Inuyasha had long silver hair and two silver dog ears on top of his head, and was wearing a baggy red kimono and Kaname with a rosary of beads around his neck and a sword at his left side. His golden eyes with slit pupils were currently narrowed in anger, and the tips of his overlong canines could be seen as he snarled.

"Okay, what did you do to tick off Kagome this time?" I asked, smirking at my fellow half-demon. Inuyasha grunted, but before he could answer Kagome did instead. "Oh, nothing really. I was just enjoying a nice bath by myself when Inuyasha decided to peep on me!" she said angrily. Inuyasha growled. "It's not like that! I thought I saw a demon going that way, and I wasn't even looking!" he protested. Kagome put Shippo down and the two of them proceeded to continue their argument, yelling at each other. Michiru watched them and asked "Um... are they always like this?" Sango sighed. "Pretty much. Just let them finish and they'll be back to normal before too long," she said. "I see," Kaname remarked. However, it seemed fate was kind and ended the fight early, as Kagome and Inuyasha stopped when they heard the twins and looked at them.

"Huh? Who are you?" Kagome asked, stopping in her rage for a moment. "Oh, we found these two in the forest after they incinerated a demon by accident," I said, pushing the two forward. Hesitantly the two of them nodded, and Michiru said "Um, hi. My name is Michiru Kururugi." "And I'm Kaname, Michiru's twin sister," Kaname added. Her fight with Inuyasha already forgotten, Kagome smiled and stretched. "It's nice to meet you, Michiru, Kaname. I'm Kagome Higurashi," she said, and the two shook her hand. Inuyasha grunted and crossed his arms, pulling out a twig that had gotten in his hair from his time on the ground. "Inuyasha. So, what did Yume mean when she said you two incinerated a demon?" he asked. Before they could answer Sango said "Let's head back to Kaede's first. We can talk there."

We all nodded and began walking back. Kaede was inside, mashing up the herbs that Inuyasha and Kagome had gotten from Jineji's farm for Kirara. Upon hearing us enter she looked up, and smiled. "Oh, you've come back. Did ye find any clues?" Kaede asked, smiling. Once all of us entered and were seated, Kaname shook her head. "No, not really," she said. "But, Kaname and Michiru did learn how to use the power of the Shikigami. Just as we were all about to be killed, they saved us with the Shikigami power!" Shippo pointed out. "That's right," Miroku agreed. "Oh, it's nothing really," Michiru said. "Shikigami? What's that?" Kagome asked, curious. I sighed and explained to Kagome and Inuyasha everything that had happened since they left, with the others taking turns whenever we were out of breath.

Once we were all done even Inuyasha had a face of shock. "Whoa. So you two can really control nature itself?" he asked, looking at the Kururugi twins in a new light. As one they shook their heads sadly, and Kaname said "No, we just managed to free everyone and learned one spell, that's all. We have so much learn to learn, or we'll just slow everyone down." Michiru nodded at that. Kaede frowned. "Even if it takes time, don't push yourselves too hard. Be patient," she said wisely. They nodded, and I looked out the window to see hat the sun was starting to set. "Well, it looks like it's be dark soon. Maybe we should get some sleep," I said. "Yeah, I'm pretty tired," Shippo said, accentuating that with a yawn. "I agree," Kagome said. The rest with the exception of Inuyasha also made sounds of agreement, and the only reason he didn't was because of his pride. Each of us laid down and went to sleep, tired after such a _long_ day.

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The next morning we all awoke around the same time out of habit, and Kagome said "Hey, Inuyasha? How about we take the day off today?" "The day off?" he repeated, still rubbing sleep from his eyes. "What's up, Kagome?" Shippo asked. "Well, I figured that since everything so new for Michiru and Kaname that we could take it easy today," she reasoned. "Oh, you don't have to do that..." Michiru began, before Miroku waved his hand. "Nonsense. Your our friends, and you're in an unfamiliar place. Let's just take the day off. Besides, this gives the rest of us a chance to recoup as well," he said. After a few seconds the twins nodded, saying "Okay. Thank you." "But I don't think it's a good idea for us to split up," a voice said. "Huh?" Inuyasha said, looking around before Kaname suddenly called "Ow!"

She slapped her cheek and we saw a flat shape come off and drift to the ground. "Oh, Myoga! It's you!" Sango said. "Myoga! Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry," Kaname quickly apologized. Slowly returning to three-dimensional form, Myoga said "It's quite alright, Kaname. I've felt much harsher blows in the past." He looked directly at Inuyasha when he said that, who scoffed obliviously and said "Yeah, I'll bet you have." Shaking his head, the old demon said "As I was saying, there are still demons around the village. We should make teams before we head off, just in case." "I agree with Myoga. Even now it's too dangerous for any of us to go out alone," Miroku said sagely. "So, let's make teams of two and go about our day," Shippo suggested. "Agreed. What do you think, Inuyasha?" Kagome asked.

Inuyasha was silent for a moment, thinking. "Well... Sure, why not?" he said. "Great! It's decided then! So, who wants to go with who?" Kagome asked. Miroku grinned lecherously. "Well, I was thinking-" he began. Quickly I stopped him, saying "Sango, how about you and I spend the day together?" Sango smiled and said "Sure!" Miroku frowned, disappointed that he couldn't do anything lecherous... for the time being. With that averted I saw Kagome turn to Kaname. "Hey Kaname, how about you and I go shopping?" she suggested. At that prospect of actually doing something "normal" Kaname smile and said "Sure. Let's go!" the two of them stood and left, talking about various things such as clothes and shoes. "Well, I'm gonna train hard," Inuyasha said. "I will too," Miroku said, and they left.

"I guess that leaves just you and me, huh, Shippo?" Michiru asked. "Looks like. Can you help me collect some chestnuts?" Shippo asked. Michiru nodded and the two of them left, leaving just me and Sango in the hut, Kaede having left to work in the fields. "Well, what do you want to do, Yume?" Sango asked. I looked over at her and smirked deviously. I knew that despite the strong front Sango put up, she was just exhausted as everyone else, and the only reason she still wasn't upset over Kohaku was because recent events had been able to keep her mind off of it. But now that I could do some comforting... "Hey Sango, have I ever told you how nice your hairs looks?" I asked. Sango blinked. "Huh? What do you mean?" she asked. I scooted closer and held up a lock of her hair.

"What I mean is that your hair is really nice. I like my own, but if I had to have hair that looked like anything else, I would want it to look like yours," I stated, completely serious. Sango blushed, not used to having her appearance complemented. "Um... thank you," she said. My smirk grew and I moved behind her, saying "Now, don't move a muscle, Sango." "What are you doing?" she asked, trusting me. "Oh, something you'll enjoy. Just close your eyes," I said. Sango nodded slightly and did just that, and I moved skillfully. Back in my world I didn't have a lot of girly habits, but I did always like seeing how my hair or that hair of other people looked in different styles. I pulled out two hair needles from Kagome's backpack and placed them in, making an elaborate bun with two locks of hair framing either side of Sango's face.

Once I was done I stopped and pulled out a mirror, holding in front of Sango's face. "Okay, not look," I said. Sango opened her eyes and went stiff, gasping. I smiled, thinking the stiffness was from surprise. "What you think? Looks nice, huh?" I asked. When she said nothing I frowned, before I heard someone gasp behind me and turned to see Michiru standing there. "Michiru? I thought you were out with Shippo?" I asked. "Well... he, um... found some other kids to play with..." Michiru trailed off, surprised by Sango's new look. At that I smiled before looking back at Sango. "See? Even Michiru is transfixed by your looks," I commented. "W-What are you saying?! This is stupid! I-I don't think it suits me," Sango said, blushing at having realized that Michiru was there. "What you talking about? Of course it does," I said.

Michiru nodded. "Yeah, it really does suit you, Sango. Really," he said honestly. At that Sango's blush moved grew from just on her cheeks to her whole face, turning it pink. "T-Thank you. Does it really?" she asked shyly. "Yes, it does. You know Sango, it's okay to look like this and doll up every once in a while," I said. Sango looked away at that. Having the life of a Demon Slayer, I knew she didn't get that many opportunities to really act like a girl. So I was doing my best to help her when she did have an opportunity. "I'm not sure..." she began. But then Michiru sat down and nodded. "Yume's right, Sango. Even if you're fighting all the time, it's okay to actually be a girl every now and again. Take Kaname and Kagome- they're out _shopping_ right now," he pointed out. Sango lowered her head, the blush still present.

"_Sango's kind of... cute when she's shy. I feel lucky to have seen that side of her_," Michiru thought. I could see that thought on his face, and thought about that. Miroku was, in my eyes, a pervert, conman and overall pitiful excuse of a monk. Michiru, on the other hand, was a the slightest bit headstrong from what I've seen, but he was reasonable, kind and- best of all- did not go around feeling up woman. Even if it was just a thought, I suddenly generated an image of Sango not being with Miroku... but with Michiru. And that image made me smile.

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At that same moment, miles away, there was a village half-filled with injured soldiers and militiamen. Each was them was laid out on a separate straw mat, groaning in pain. A single woman walked through them, gazing around with kind brown eyes. Hair was just as dark, if not darker, than Kagome's and fell past her slim waist in a loose ponytail with a ribbon. Over alabaster skin she wore that white kimono and red hakama of a priestess, along with white socks and straw sandals. As she walked people turned her, saying things such as "Thanks, Lady Kikyo" and "We'd all be dead without you". The woman, Kikyo, looked back at them. "Please, it was nothing. I was merely doing my job as a priestess," she said, before walking off. But just then she heard a voice call "Lady Kikyo!"

Kikyo turned and saw two men carrying a third on a mat, bleeding heavily a sword wound to the chest. "My lady, our friend I injured. Please, can you heal him?" one of them men asked. "That's terrible. How did he become so?" Kikyo asked. The men looked at each other, before the other said "We... um... were training. Yeah, we were training! Then we took it a little too far, and..." Kikyo's eyes narrowed before placing a hand over the wound. It was regular sword one, but she could also sense the faintest trace of demonic energy. And she was very familiar with the source. After pushing in the slightest bit of spiritual power and purifying it, Kikyo said "I'll do what I can. Set him down." They nodded and gently placed the injured man on the ground, before backing away. Kikyo dropped to one knee and placed her basket of herbs on the ground, pulling out several of them, along with a mortar and pestle.

Kikyo mashed the herbs together until they had the consistency of paste and applied the solution to the man's wound. "There, this will reduce the bleeding and prevent the wound becoming infected. Just relax and try to keep the wound from getting worse or reopening," she said, before wrapping the man's chest in bandages. The men sighed. "Thank you, priestess. You've saved my life," the one injured said. Kikyo smiled. "Think nothing of it. Just try to be more careful while training" she said, before picking up her herbs and walking off again. The men behind her laughed nervously, but she ignored them. She kept going through the village until she reached the end, where there sat a forest. Kikyo stepped in and walked for about a minute, before stopping in a small clearing.

The temperature seemed to drop a dozen degrees, but Kikyo merely raised an eyebrow. "You have nothing to fear. I know those men attacked you- I could feel the energy from your sword in his wound," she said aloud. At that the temperature turned to normal, and the shadows around the clearing seemed to darkness before a man emerged from one of them. The man looked just a few years older than Kagome, Sango or the others, and his skin was both tanned and muscled. The calloused state of his hands along with that suggested that he had once worked in the fields, and his disheveled mess of black hair covered his forehead and stopped just above sapphire blue eyes. He wore a solid black kimono and hakama and also had on straw sandals. At his waist was a black katana.

Despite his unusual appearance, the man simply smiled, embarrassed, and rubbed the back of his head. "Well, I'm sorry that the fools came to you for help. Here I was, just eating some edible plants I gathered when they attacked, thinking I was a demon," he said. "Well, they'd be half right, Xiram," Kikyo pointed out. At that Xiram lost his smile and shrugged. "I suppose so. Still, if they really thought I was a demon, they were fools to attack me," he stated. Then suddenly he looked up. "What is it?" Kikyo asked. "I can sense the negative emotions of several more people moving towards the village. They're looking for you," Xiram told her. Kikyo's expression hardened. "I see. I'll go see what it is. Stick to the shadows," she said. Xiram nodded and stepped back into the shadow he had come from, melting into darkness and vanishing.

Kikyo walked back out of the forest an found an old man followed by a group of warriors in the middle of the village. "Where is she?! Where is the priestess known as Kikyo?" the old man demanded. "Calm yourself. I am Kikyo," Kikyo said, stepping forward. The warriors drew their swords, and Kikyo could feel Xiram's presence nearby, ready to emerge from the darkness if they attacked. "Are you the one who tends to soldiers regardless of whichever side they are on, and uses strange powers to even those near death back to life?" the man asked. Kikyo smiled. "No strange powers, just a knowledge of herbs and healing," she replied. The old man grunted. "You can tell us at Lord Kagewaki's castle. Come with us," he said, not even waiting for her reply before he turned around.

Kikyo frowned but complied, following the man and warriors while Xiram stayed nearby, unknown to all but her.

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Well, the whole group is back together, and it looks like not only is Yume doing some thinking! But not only that, but what will happen with Kikyo and Xiram? The next chapter shall tell!

Please review! If you flame me Liam Neeson will look for you, he will find you, and he will kill you. (I'm just kidding... or am I?)


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